title: Prevalence of hepatitis B, C, and D markers in sub-Saharan African immigrants.
abstract: We determined the prevalence of hepatitis B, C, and D virus markers in a cohort of 229 (adult group, n = 187; pediatric group, n = 42) asymptomatic sub-Saharan African immigrants recently arrived to Madrid, Spain. Evidence of a recent or past hepatitis B virus infection marker was seen in 68 of 187 (36.4%) adults and in 14 of 42 (33.3%) children. The rate of chronic carriers of hepatitis B surface antigen in the entire population was 10.9% (25 of 229). Anti-hepatitis C virus antibodies were seen in 16 of 187 (8.6%) of the adults and in 1 of 42 (2.4%) of the children. Two of the 20 adults (10%) who were positive for hepatitis B surface antigen and none of the children had anti-hepatitis D virus antibodies. We found no significant differences in the prevalence of any viral infection marker between the two groups. Ten of the 125 (8%) patients in the adult group and none of the pediatric group had serologic evidence (recent or past) of hepatitis B and C coinfection. The hepatitis markers of this group should be studied and these persons should be considered a risk group in the hepatitis B virus vaccination campaigns.
authors.affiliation: Tropical Medicine and Clinical Parasitology, Microbiology Department, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain. rogelio.lopez@hrc.es
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: López-Vélez
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Turrientes
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gutierrez
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mateos
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017954:Africa South of the Sahara / Q000208:ethnology; D002648:Child; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D003699:Hepatitis D / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies